Paperboats
by L. Hiiragizawa
Summary: Even the strongest paper can be torn by water. Even the largest of ships sink. Even relationships fall apart... [ExT] They start out as good friends yet he falls for her. Does she LOVE him the way he does or everything is plain friendship in her eyes?


*CCS and its characters shall never be my property although the plot used here is from the twisted mind of yours truly. Yes, in short, mine. So please, spare this idea from being plagiarized. x_x

Paperboats

By L. Hiiragizawa

"Fairies do not exist, tomodachi-kun. I've always believed they do."

"If I say they do now, my dearest, just now, would you be believe in me?"

______

Serene

______

He understood her.

He understood why she declined.

Her refusal created a mass of sheer pain in his heart, visibly clouding his optimistic view on life.

But he accepted reality like what wise men would do in such trying situations just like this.

Things were bound to stay the way it was before.

There were no expectations, no faith, not even a hint of belief.

He knew it all along.

He knew of the hurt that would surge through and the fruitlessness of all the efforts he exerted…

All the wishes and dreams he kept in shut in secrecy. 

But he tried, didn't he? 

He tried his very best to alter what was unmistakably implausible, because maybe, just maybe…

Eriol Hiiragizawa watched silently as the third paper boat fell deep below the shallow lakebed, like a withering dandelion that grew behind the sun's warmth, deprived of the light it needed to live. The cold breeze that blew from the west side of the still waters made his blue tresses dance in an unmelodious musicale. His eyes quickly averted from drowning into the beauty of the glittering stones below the lake's surface to the last sheet of paper gently clutched in his pale, white hands. 

The moon had a faint glow that rivaled the few glitters of silver trinkets above the painfully quiet night, as if feeling the traces of misery that crept into the surrounding barrier of understanding, trying so hard to overcome the last ounce of joy he tried to show. 

Of course, he still smiled in spite of the obvious disappointment. He held on to a hundred of disguises, slipping one in, avoiding the sinking feeling of frailty that he feared would take over his composure. 

He asked her to believe in him.

He asked her to dream for him, for herself even for once.

___________________________

"Believe? That they exist? That there is more in magic, even more than yours?"

"Yes, Tomoyo-san.

"Dream? After dreaming for so long and it would dawn one day that everything you dreamt of was futile? Too impossible to come true?"

"Yes, Tomoyo-san."

"My tomodachi-kun…"

"Yes, dearest?"

"I believe you need to consult a psychiatrist…fast."

___________________________

He sighed for the fifth time in a row, still looking at the paper he held. The mist of the night gathered itself on his round spectacles, the view behind the blurriness hard to perceive. With his free hand, he took them off and wiped the pair of lenses with the long-sleeved black turtleneck shirt he wore that contrasted his skin's paleness.

It was too special to keep under the other stacks of clothing in his dresser since it was his dearest friend's favorite. She had always commented how cute it looked on him and how well the shirt suited his mysterious eyes, which was, as usual, backed up by his very hyperactive guardian-pillow fight contender-hopelessly perky Nakuru Akizuki. Spinel would only grunt in reply and stalk off to the nearest hideout after seeing Nakuru's eyes sparkle with that mischievous twinkle she always wore when she was ready to lunge and stuff him with sweets.

Eriol smiled at the thought, relishing the happy days he spent before his mouth uttered words that had hurt her deeply.

Once again, he shrugged off memories, any memory that would make him see how an idiot he was. After minutes of staying in his hand, he placed back the now clean spectacles to where it normally stayed for years. No one except Nakuru and Spinel had seen youthful grace of his face without the glasses. 

No one, not even his dearest tomodachi. 

He resolved to show the person he loves the most the ethereal features he held behind the frame of lenses that hid the true beauty of his eyes. 

He would have shown _her_…

He would have.

If only she realized and understood they way he realized and understood.

Kneeling down, he folded the clean sheet of paper into a series of folds and turns. 

__________________________

"Origami?"

"Yes, tomodachi-kun."

"I may be the reincarnation of the most powerful sorcerer who ever graced the planet but my hands couldn't weave the magic you use, Tomoyo-san."

"It's fairly easy. Here, I shall teach you the first thing I ever learned to make from paper."

He observed the way she folded the paper and how her purple hair moved as her hands moved. 

There, slightly as he felt it, something struck him so hard that he cannot comprehend what it really meant.

"Eriol-kun…"

He heard her whisper, snapping him from his stare. Realizing what he just did, his cheeks turned a faint pink. She reached out for his hand and placed what seemed like a tiny boat made of paper.

"A paper boat?"

"Yes, Eriol. A meek epitome of dreams and wishes."

"Wish to elaborate?"

"Well, as you place a paper boat on the water and watch it sail towards nowhere, silently whisper to the tiny thing everything you yearn for; possible or impossible. It may sound silly or childish but I found joy in watching them float as the water drifts them away."

"You never cease to amaze me, dearest."

"Of course." She grinned triumphantly as she saw his eyes turn serious and pleading.

"Teach me, Tomoyo-san."

___________________________

He whispered something before he released the folded paper into the unmoving waters of the lake.

His soulful eyes wished he never wished anything at all.

He knew perfectly that though how many times he shall wish and though how many boats he would make to set sail; only a miracle would answer his pleas. 

Eriol watched the meek thing struggle to keep itself up from the invisible force that was trying to make it sink. It floated to the other side of the lake. He was about to rise up and leave for home since he knew how late it was, when out of the hollow dimness and weak illumination of the moon and stars above, a pale, feminine hand reached out for the overturned boat.

Deep bluish-gray orbs met strong violets as the rustle of the trees around were the only sounds that kept silence from reigning over.

It stayed that way for minutes. 

Stares exchanged whilst a woman with long dark hair brought a tiny work of hands near her chest.

Behind his shocked face, he wore a slightly painful smile and raised up to face her solemn face.

"Konbanwa, Otom-…Daidouji-san."

"Konbanwa, Hiiragizawa-kun."

They both spoke a language strangers use. 

Unfamiliarity.

"What are you doing here at this time of night?"

It pained her to see him. 

It hurt but she couldn't do anything. 

There was fear. Anxiety. Mistrust.

"I was worried. Nakuru-chan was too. I figured out where you would go so I came here to think about things…"

"Oh…"

She looked up to him and saw him remove his glasses and wipe the lens using his shirt. 

Her favorite shirt.

And there she noticed how beautiful he was without those things that lessened the sparkle of his cerulean stare. 

"You must try to wear contacts next time."

He looked up and smiled.

"It would be better this way."

As she watched him turn around, she did all the best she could to stop him from leaving.

They needed to talk.

Talk things out before everything that had happened would be buried into nonexistence. 

Eriol tried to walk away. 

He needed no words.

Nothing.

But somehow, everything that happened between them came rushing into his thoughts, bringing him to where everything started. 

"Wait."

He heard her call out.

"Eriol…"

He heard her call him by his first name.

He bravely faced her and memories of yesterday came before his vision…

"We need to talk."

And he recalled…

"About us."

**While I was writing this, I couldn't help but feel the pain of the fic. Somehow, it felt connected to me. Maybe that's the reason why I was terribly inspired to write this thing.

Anyway, please drop a review and I would love to receive e-mails, too. You think I bite? Err…think again. ^_^

_Scarlet_ is still on the works, btw.

Oh and yes! In case you are wondering, this is not a one shot, otay? OTAY? Okay. J


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